Piano construction



July 3, 1934. sTEmwAY 1,965,360

PIANO CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 9, 1954 Patented July 3, 1934 UNITED STATES PIANO CONSTRUCTION Theodore E. Steinway, New York, N. Y., assignor to Steinway & Sons, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 9, 1934, Serial No. 705,929

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to piano construction, and more particularly to the agraffe pin of the type having a threaded shank for holding the pin or stud firmly in place on the .frame.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of agraife pin which may be firmly and tightly seated in the frame irrespective of the relation between the threaded shank of the pin and the angular position of the agraife pin relative to the strings of the piano, the eye of the agraffe pin being transverse to the length of the strings in final position.

In the accomplishment of this object, the head of the agraffe pin has a deformable projection of any suitable construction, such as continuous and integral as hereinafter described and shown, at the under side of the head of the pin for binding and crushing engagement against the agraffe seat so that the projection may be mashed down to the necessary extent to admit the turning of the agraffe pin into the required transverse position relative to the strings without stripping or mutilating the threads on the shank of the pin, and at the same time obtaining the necessary firm and tight seating and support of the pin on the frame.

The object of this bead or ring on the bottom of the agrafie is to facilitate the proper seating or bedding of the agraife in the agraffe seat which is recessed in the piano string-frame. In the turning in of the agraffe when the seat is reached, occasionally or frequently from one quarter to one half turn is required in order to line up the holes through which the strings pass at right angles to the strings. In this turn, the bead in contact with the seat flattens out, thus relieving torsional strain on the shank and preventing the stripping of the screw threads, and a firm and uniform seat is secured all around.

It is not essential that the agrafle seat be recessed as before pointed out. The seat of the agraife or stud is usually slightly larger in diameter, say 1/64 or 1/32 of an inch, than the diameter of the agraife or stud itself.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawing, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of the frame and adjacent parts of a piano of the (grand type showing an agrafie pin constructed according to the present invention mounted thereon.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the pin mounted in the adjacent portion of the frame.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of the same, so showing the pin turned up to a further extent in its seat and the projection proportionately deformed.

Figure 4 is a detail side elevation of the agraffe pin taken at right angles to the showing in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the agraffe pin, showing the transverse eye, and

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of the same.

Referring now to the drawing, 10 designates w the frame and adjacent parts of a grand piano to which the present invention may be applied and which is by way of illustration only as the invention may be and with other types of pianos and the like, and the frame 10 may be of other 7 construction than that herein shown.

Strings 11, one shown in the present instance, are mounted on the frame 10 and each string 11 has a tuning pin 12 secured to one end of the string and mounted in the present instance 89 in the forward end of the frame 10. The frame 10 has a bridge portion 13 disposed across the underside of the strings 11 and suitably spaced from the tuning pins 12, there being a dampening pad 14 on the frame between the bridge I portion 13 and the tuning pins 12 over which the strings 11 are drawn, as shown in Figure 1.

The bridge portion 13 of the frame is utilized for the support of the agraffe pins; one for each string 11 or string group, and through which the strings 11 pass to provide a single and definite point of contact with the strings in determining the effective lengths thereof. For each agraffe pin the bridge portion 13 has a threaded bore 15 and a counterbore 16 providing an agraffe seat.

The agraife pin has a threaded stem or shank 1'7 adapted to be turned into the bore 15 and a circular head 18 adapted to engage in the agraffe seat 16 for supporting the pin against lateral strains and relieving the shank 1'7 and its threads to a large extent from such strains. The head 18 has an eye-piece 19 on its upper side which is relatively thin and extends transversely across the head. This eye-piece 19 has an opening 20 105.-

for each string 11 supported by the agraffe pin, the opening 20 being flared through the opposite sides of the eye-piece 19 and having a rounded marginal wall to provide the desired contact with the string passing therethrough.

nece -ary to back oh the head and shan'k'ofthe" pin irom the bore and counter-bore and thus sac.- rifice the firm support of the head 18, or to force the shank and head further into the bore. and.

counte bore with the possibility of mutilating or stripping the threads and thus loosening the pin in its seat, or twisting off the shank of the agrai'ie.

To offset this disadvantage-and permit the'true alinement of the eye-piece 19 transversely of the. 5" ing 11 and prevent injury to the threads, the head 13 is provided at its underside and adjacent its outer marginal edge with an annular ridge or support 21 which is deformable under. pressure during the final turn or partial turn of. the pin. This ridge or support is shown as being annular and integral with the head but it may be modified as desired so as to afford the necessary binding engagement between the head 18 and itsseat 16 without injury to the threads or permitting any loose play between the pin. and its supporting. frame.

Figure 2 shows the pin. turned down into. its seat 1.6 and with the ridge 21. supporting the head 18. Should it be necessary to further turn the pin to properly position the eye-piece l9 transversely of the string 11, such operation may be accomplished, as shown. in Figure 3.,.by forcing,

the pin to turn through the necessary angle,

which act-ion causes the flatteningof. the ridge 21. proportionately to the angle of. turn as the ridge. 21 is proportioned asto. thickness, height and.

resistance to deformation. to offer. the required resistance to flattening without injury. to. the.

threads and so as to adequately support the. head 18 in its seat 16.

The pin is thus securely and tightly. mounted in the frameand the threads. are protectedfrom injury and the shank 1'7 isrelieved of torsional.

strain.

It is obviousthat various changes andlmodifications may be made in the. detail'sof construe.-

tion and design of. the above specifically describedv embodiment of thisinvention without. departing from the spirit thereof, such changesand modi=- iications being restricted only. by the scopev of.

the following claims:-

What is claimed is:-

1. An agraffe. for. mounting on. a'piano frame. having a threaded bore and a. counter-bore pro..-

viding an agraffe seat,. comprising a threadedv shank for engagement in said bore, and ahead on.

the shank adapted to be drawn bythe shankinto said agrafie seat, said headhavinga string receiving eye-piece on-its outer side for adjustment.

transversely of the string by turning the shank and head, said head also having a deformable ridge on its inner side adapted to be flattened against said agraffe seat upon the final turning of the head and shank to adjust said eye-piece ,and support the head firmly in the seat.

2. An agraiie for mounting on a. piano frame havinga threaded bore and an agrafie seat at the outer end thereof, comprising a head for engagement'with the agrafle seat and having a threaded shank extending from the lower side of the head for engagement in the bore to draw the head firmly against the seat, said head also having a string receiving eye-piece on its upper side for transverse alinement with a piano string, the head. further having yieldable supporting means on its lower side for flattening against the seat uponthe-final turningof the shank and head to adjust the eye-piece to prevent injury to the threads and relieve the shank from undue torsional strain.

3. An agrafie pin adapted to be threaded into a piano frame, comprisingathreaded shank, and a head on the shank having a transverse eye-- piece for receiving a piano string therethrough; said shank adapted to be turned intothe frame to bind the headthereagainst, said head havinga, deformable support onitsinner side for engage ment with the frame andadapted to be flattened against the latter during the final turningofzthe pin when adjusting the eye-piece to the piano:- string.

4. An agrafle pin, comprising a head having'an eye-piece for receiving a string'and providedion its underside with a deformable. ridge, and". a threaded shank carried on the underside of. the.

head for drawingthe latter against a support,

1 5.. An agraiie, comprising. a head having. a;

string. receiving eye-piece on its-upper. side anda-dependingridge on itsunder side, and a.thread.-- ed shank projecting. from theunder side of the head for: drawing the latter against-asupport and: flattening. the ridge therebetween.

6. An agrafie for mounting. on a piano. frame having. a threaded bore anda counter-bore providing. an agraire. seatcomprising a. cylindricalhead for engagement inthe agraffe seatandhavring. a threaded. shank adaptedto be turned into, said bore for drawing'the headfirmly into the seat, saidhead having. a transverse eye-piece on.- its outer side adapted; to receive a pianolstring. and. register. transversely therewith by the'finalturne ing ofthe. shankand head,.said headalso having. at its-inner side a deformable annular ridge taper.- ingfrom the. head adapted to be fiattenedagainst the agrafie seat. in. the final turning. adjustment. of; the head. andshank toprevent injury. to the. threads andshankand to firmly support the headin theseat.

THEODORE E... SPI'EINWAY... 

